TCA PRC-152a forums, user groups?

[TDR-94]

Yep, no matter how much you want to convince yourself otherwise, it's a CCR that is designed to mimic the look of a AN/PRC-152. Which is ALL it will ever really do.

 

[paulears]

You are missing the point, to be honest. There are grades of Chinese radios, from £25 cheapies to very expensive military style radios, two or three times the price of the 152 versions, which are not cheap anyway. Their owners know why they consider them worth the money, and are not remotely Baofeng quality. Commonality of accessories is a major benefit, new or secondhand. Sure, they perform like any dual band radio. Basic functions are what the users actually want. A few channels, and maybe GPS, facility for remote keypad maybe? Lots of antennas with proper TNC connectors attached to a metal body, not fragile SMAs which are very prone to snapping off.

they do a pretty good job for the people who buy them, and like them. Remember that many Icom and others have their radios made in China, and get programmed in Japan to make them Japanese. They then command higher prices. A Motorola is foreign and expensive, a Baofeng is foreign and very cheap. People pay for solid cases and toughness.

it’s totally fine to say Chinese 152 type radios, and the 148 too, are less capable than a house price genuine Harris one with all the satcom and encryption features. That’s true. That is not what the owners are asking for. If you spend a lot of money on a basic spec radio, you don’t do it expecting magic. You do it to satisfy a need, and they are very happy!

 

[TDR-94]

Military "style" is the keyword. To look and feel 'like' a military radio. They buy these because of that reason. They aren't purchasing an Azart R-187-P1E and probably wouldn't because it doesn't look and feel like a U.S Military AN/PRC-152 or AN/PRC-148. Anybody who wants or seriously needs a 'military' grade radio doesn't purchase a TRI, TCA or any other CCR.

 

[paulears]

I sort of see your point - but most of these folk need one that won't break in their typical usage, fits accessories they have bought and fits the webbing and pouches. I'd suggest that only the military need the features the real ones have, and most are not even licenceable to the public.

 

[N3ESP]

You are missing the point, to be honest. There are grades of Chinese radios, from £25 cheapies to very expensive military style radios, two or three times the price of the 152 versions, which are not cheap anyway. Their owners know why they consider them worth the money, and are not remotely Baofeng quality. Commonality of accessories is a major benefit, new or secondhand. Sure, they perform like any dual band radio. Basic functions are what the users actually want. A few channels, and maybe GPS, facility for remote keypad maybe? Lots of antennas with proper TNC connectors attached to a metal body, not fragile SMAs which are very prone to snapping off.

they do a pretty good job for the people who buy them, and like them. Remember that many Icom and others have their radios made in China, and get programmed in Japan to make them Japanese. They then command higher prices. A Motorola is foreign and expensive, a Baofeng is foreign and very cheap. People pay for solid cases and toughness.

it’s totally fine to say Chinese 152 type radios, and the 148 too, are less capable than a house price genuine Harris one with all the satcom and encryption features. That’s true. That is not what the owners are asking for. If you spend a lot of money on a basic spec radio, you don’t do it expecting magic. You do it to satisfy a need, and they are very happy!

I understand your point of view on this subject. Given how popular video games and movies about fantasy are, it is not surprising that people want to pretend that they own something that real war fighters would use. These radios are not the only product out there that tries to appeal to buyers in this way.

Part of my career in engineering was working on military comm equipment. I worked for many years for both Thales and Rockwell Collins on the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program for our military. I am also a ham and own more handheld radios than any sane person should own. I can assure you that NONE of the amateur equipment sold is designed and built like the software defined radios used by the U.S. military. The capability to switch between multiple wave forms, type 1 encryption, operational range of frequencies are but a few of the features that you will not find in either consumer or commercial handheld radio equipment.

So if you want your fantasy and are willing to spend the money, go right ahead. But please, don't try to convince others that you own real military comm equipment. There is a reason why military handheld radios cost about $7-10K a unit. Now, with all that said, one of the ironies of all this is that radios sold to our military, often contain parts that are sourced from southeast Asia; just like everything else in the world.

 

[MUTNAV]

Has there been a lot of people saying here that a PRC-152 look alike is the same as a real one, (that is what you would expect of years of government sales)?

Like a person that buys a Hummer, I doubt they would try and convince anyone that it is the same as a HMMWV, huge differences, but maybe they like the look and feel of it.

Thanks
Joel

 

[N3ESP]

Why do people buy knockoff luxury watches? Is it because they really like the look of it? Perhaps. Is because they want others to believe they own a real "whatever ?" More likely that not. Hence the popularity of such items.

If a manufacturer really wants to build a distinctive product, they will design it themselves; from the ground up. They don't copy another company's design such that theirs looks almost exactly the other company's item. Even to the point of putting that other company's name on their product.

Granted, when it comes to military radios, much of its look and function are stipulated by contractual specifications. The AN/PRC-148 is a square black box of its size and shape and does what it does because that is how SOCOM wrote their statement of work. It's one thing to interpret a specification and build a new design from it; ignoring any obvious illegality of that. It's completely different to sell a knockoff of some other company's product that is intentionally designed to be something it is not; even if you call it a "replica."

 

[MUTNAV]

It's one thing to interpret a specification and build a new design from it; ignoring any obvious illegality of that. It's completely different to sell a knockoff of some other company's product that is intentionally designed to be something it is not; even if you call it a "replica."

How exactly is any of it illegal to interpret a specification and make a new design?

Why do people buy knockoff luxury watches? Is it because they really like the look of it? Perhaps. Is because they want others to believe they own a real "whatever ?" More likely that not. Hence the popularity of such items.

I can't really say much about this, I'm not in charge (nor do I want to be) of peoples motivations,

People spend a lot more (both money wise and time wise) messing with replicas of things (ie P-51s)

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In my case (I don't own one but would really like to when some kinks are worked out), it's the weight and size of the radio, (and maybe accessory availability), light isn't always the best. Plus I like the looks.


Thanks
Joel

 

[prcguy]

Has there been a lot of people saying here that a PRC-152 look alike is the same as a real one, (that is what you would expect of years of government sales)?

Like a person that buys a Hummer, I doubt they would try and convince anyone that it is the same as a HMMWV, huge differences, but maybe they like the look and feel of it.

Thanks
Joel

AM General H1 HUMMER is real and no major difference to a HUMVEE, the GM HUMMER things on a truck chassis are not.

 

[prcguy]

AM General H1 HUMMER is real and no major difference to a HUMVEE, the GM HUMMER things on a truck chassis are not but some owners will try and tell you they are.

 

[MUTNAV]

AM General H1 HUMMER is real and no major difference to a HUMVEE, the GM HUMMER things on a truck chassis are not.

Fair enough..... Didn't know about the H1, looks close to the mil one (hopefully more comfortable),

I love to point out the difference in the height of a military hummer, and a lifted truck, vs the ground clearances at the center of each of the vehicles.


There are mil ones pretty cheap to buy surplus. I have no idea where to get a surplus one serviced though.

Thanks
Joel

 

[paulears]

I don't think anyone has said the Chinese military style radios are as good as a real one - that's preposterous, because clearly they're just well made quite basic performance radios. What people seem to be reading in is that the people who buy them somehow think they are an equivalent - but from the great conversations with the people I sell them to, this is way away from the point. It's like the military enactment societies who spend a lot of money on appearance - it's part of their hobby. They buy or make reproduction uniforms from over a hundred years ago, and go to great lengths to create the appearance of authenticity, when clearly, the majority of source components are modern.

The folk who buy these radios in the UK tend to be airsoft players, not paintball - and they have sourced authentic camo, accessories, boots and of course, radios and their accessories. In terms of comms - all they do is talk to their team members, usually nothing other than that. Repeaters possibly, but rarely anything clever.

It's also worth knowing that the professional military suppliers are well aware of the Chinese versions of the well known and expensive 'proper' ones. My entire stock was bought by a UK Defence Contractor for an exhibition. They'd been promised some US products, and they didn't arrive, so all the radios attached to cam netting on their stand were not what they appeared to be - but the point was they looked real!

It's not just radios - but if you buy a guitar, it's common to have Made in America versions, but others like Made in Mexico and Made in China versions. Then you get the versions made in China with Gibson or Fender brands on them. If we discount the scammers who buy the fakes and sell them on ebay as genuine, the remainder are musical folk who cannot afford the Fender, but buy the fake one. Very few actually believe their fake is as good as the real one - but many are actually perfectly playable instruments. Should a student buy a 3 grand guitar when they might get bored and move on?

I'll repeat my view. A Chinese military style radio like the 152's is a perfectly decent radio, they're reliable and let you use a huge range of accessories. I think anyone considering buying a real one must be mad - crazy prices, so bad value for money.

 

[prcguy]

I'll repeat my view. A Chinese military style radio like the 152's is a perfectly decent radio, they're reliable and let you use a huge range of accessories. I think anyone considering buying a real one must be mad - crazy prices, so bad value for money.

Real ones are a bad value? I bought four real PRC-6809 MBITRs for $800 each, played with them for several years and sold three in the $3,750 range each. That’s $8,850 profit on three radios and I still have one left, although I broke it. I think you could sell fake ones for a lifetime and not make that much $$. I could fill you in on some other very profitable mil radio deals I had but you get the point.

On the other hand, buy a Chinese radio used, play with it for awhile and see what you can get for it. If you’re lucky you break even, if you make a killing that’s maybe $50 profit? And when you say they are a perfectly decent radio I say the are the equivalent performance of a Baofeng UV-5R and I have never heard that radio mentioned in the same sentence with “perfectly decent”.

 

[MUTNAV]

Real ones are a bad value? I bought four real PRC-6809 MBITRs for $800 each, played with them for several years and sold three in the $3,750 range each. That’s $8,850 profit on three radios and I still have one left, although I broke it. I think you could sell fake ones for a lifetime and not make that much $$. I could fill you in on some other very profitable mil radio deals I had but you get the point.

On the other hand, buy a Chinese radio used, play with it for awhile and see what you can get for it. If you’re lucky you break even, if you make a killing that’s maybe $50 profit? And when you say they are a perfectly decent radio I say the are the equivalent performance of a Baofeng UV-5R and I have never heard that radio mentioned in the same sentence with “perfectly decent”.

I get it now, we're talking about different things.... Financial investment vs. investment in the sport/hobby collector aspect, real prc-152 apparently a good financial investment, replica 152 good investment as part of role playing kit.

Got it..

Thanks
Joel

 

[prcguy]

I get it now, we're talking about different things.... Financial investment vs. investment in the sport/hobby collector aspect, real prc-152 apparently a good financial investment, replica 152 good investment as part of role playing kit.

Got it..

Thanks
Joel

I didn’t buy the MBITRs as a financial investment, I bought them because they we cool and real. If I was part of a military enactment group I would have used them for that along with the legal use I got out of them with donating time with a Govt organization.

 

[TDR-94]

Any CCI radio like the AN/PRC-152 or AN/PRC-148 would not be a wise investment. It would be like owning a stolen car and then wanting to sell it later as a rare, hard to find, item.

 

[TDR-94]

Real ones are a bad value? I bought four real PRC-6809 MBITRs for $800 each, played with them for several years and sold three in the $3,750 range each. That’s $8,850 profit on three radios and I still have one left, although I broke it. I think you could sell fake ones for a lifetime and not make that much $$. I could fill you in on some other very profitable mil radio deals I had but you get the point.

On the other hand, buy a Chinese radio used, play with it for awhile and see what you can get for it. If you’re lucky you break even, if you make a killing that’s maybe $50 profit? And when you say they are a perfectly decent radio I say the are the equivalent performance of a Baofeng UV-5R and I have never heard that radio mentioned in the same sentence with “perfectly decent”.

Those were some SWEET! PRC-6809's you had! The PRC-6809's are more rare than most of the FALCON line of handheld radios or any of the other MBITR's. The bulk of them were sold to the Democratic Rebuplic of the Congo under contract from THALES UK and was funded by the U.S. Department of State's Africa Peacekeeping Program, AFRICAP, and was also supported by the U.K. Embassy in the Congo.

 

[rescuecomm]

Just for information purposes, what do you suggest as a alternative.

A. New price $400
B. Ability to use a wide variety of accessories
C. Alkaline or lithium large cap battery packs
D. Dual band
E. FPP out of the box

 

[TDR-94]

Just for information purposes, what do you suggest as a alternative.

A. New price $400
B. Ability to use a wide variety of accessories
C. Alkaline or lithium large cap battery packs
D. Dual band
E. FPP out of the box

Any other CCR that doesn't cost $400 because it's made to look like a AN/PRC-152/AN/PRC-148.

 

[paulears]

Forgive me, but in a forum section for a certain type of product, why are you on a quest to prove every person who wants one, or has one, is wrong? You’re preaching to be who don’t want to be converted.

when I first started selling them, I was uncertain there was a market and was wrong. The U.K. is small but here there is a very strong user base, who know exactly what they are buying and genuinely like the products. Why would you assume you can convince people when you clearly totally misunderstand why people buy them?